Synergistic in vitro anti-HIV type 1 activity of tenofovir with carbohydrate-binding agents (CBAs)

Tenofovir, a well-known and highly prescribed anti-HIV-1 drug for the treatment of HIV/AIDS infections, has recently also shown its effectiveness as a potential microbicide drug in the prevention of HIV transmission.Here, we evaluated the combination of tenofovir with various members of the class of carbohydrate-binding agents (CBAs) targeting the glycans on the viral envelope gp120 for their anti-HIV efficacy. The tenofovir/CBA combinations predominantly showed synergistic antiviral activity using the median effect principle.These findings illustrate that combination of tenofovir with CBAs may increase the antiviral potency of the individual drugs and reducing the risk on potential side-effects.